


Concessions to Normalcy

by TinyBat



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-10-03
Packaged: 2017-11-15 13:06:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyBat/pseuds/TinyBat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a tutoring session with Ruby, Grace wonders why her father can’t just send Emma flowers like a normal person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Concessions to Normalcy

**Author's Note:**

> Ruby and Jefferson are my brotp

Grace was a bright girl, she knew it, her friends knew it, her teachers knew it; numbers didn’t. Being very much her fathers daughter she could make words do whatever she wanted them to and was quite happy to sit in his library for hours at a time. Homework was her friend, she was one of the very few 10 year olds her father knew that actively enjoyed it. Math homework however both frustrated her and endlessly baffled her father. Jefferson made hats and was on occasion known to do other less pleasant things but he read and played music in his down time so numbers were never something he encountered anywhere but on a hatters dummy.

He was more than happy to help Grace with any and all of her school work because it made him feel more human, her math homework however was quite possibly the most vile thing ever to be put on paper.

With the curse broken he was less uneasy about spending time in town and had actually made an effort to be personable. Archie the psychologist was a weekly visit and after seeing Archie he’d go pay a visit to Ruby at the diner. He liked Ruby, she wasn’t someone he’d ever be attracted to and she had zero interest in him so they got along beautifully.

After a very long rant over several cups of tea he explained to an amused Ruby that he needed a math tutor for Grace, being both a decent person and someone paid to work with numbers she volunteered her services.

A knock at the door around 5:00 heralded the arrival of Ruby and her incredibly useful brain.

“I’m here, I brought scrap paper and sarcasm!” she said as she walked into the kitchen. Grace waved from the kitchen table and indicated a sheet of paper that would be the focus of their two hours together.

A highly flustered Jefferson was wearing a hole in the kitchen floor and muttering to himself. This would have been normal if it weren’t for the small notebook clutched in his hand.

“Papa is trying to ask the sheriff to dinner. He wants to send things to her doorstep because he’s too much of a wuss to go talk to her.” said Grace while rummaging through her backpack for a pencil.

“No kidding? Really Jefferson I’m shocked. You don’t know how to ask an available woman to dinner? Or are you just afraid she’ll say no and arrest you for wasting her time?” Ruby pulled up a chair and watched him continue ruining his floor while Grace set up her workspace.

“Im not afraid I just can’t seem to find the right way to ask. I’d like to avoid getting my face rearranged. She doesn’t like me much I’m sad to say.” murmured the perplexed man almost to himself.

At this last statement Ruby started to laugh. All signs thus far indicated that Emma wasn’t sure what to make of him but certainly wouldn’t say no to an enclosed space and 10 minutes. She liked challenges and the strange man who lived in the middle of the woods was exactly that. He was enigmatic, sarcastic, charming and devilishly attractive which from what had been explained to Ruby was exactly Emmas type even if she didn’t want to admit to it.

“No to the doorstep notes This isn’t a musical. A phonecall might seem insincere. Sending a messenger will definitely get you a no.” Grace was scribbling away at her division problems under the waitress’ watchful eye with a bemused expression.

“Why can’t you just send her flowers? Flowers can mean all sorts of things and it’s hard to say no. The new librarians father is a florist. You should go ask him!” piped up the girl after a moments thought.

Jefferson paused midway through destroying the finish on the hardwood flooring and looked thoughtful.

“Something simple, pretty, and entirely unthreatening. I really don’t see why I can’t just irritate her into saying yes but that won’t get me anywhere. Grace, Ruby. I’m entirely I your hands. Flowers it is.”

He looked much more relaxed now and felt briefly ashamed of his complete lack of anything charm related when faced with Emma Swan.


End file.
